Posted on March 7th, 2010
Technology classes will prove to students that some hardware and software packages, such as those Cisco creates, are not so easy in learning. Cisco has created some of the best routers, switches, and programs in the world- but learning how to use them has proved to be a task.
The first reference material to consider is Cisco posters. These posters, often found free through the Cisco Academy or through third party retailers, cover many topics such as router commands and network hardware specifications. Keeping up a Cisco poster in your room is a great way to learn all of the ins and outs of Cisco products a little bit each day at a time.
Learning the specifics of how hardware works is one of the key problems Cisco students have. Some software programs, such as Packet Tracer, are the solution to this problem. Cisco gives away Packet Tracer for free to those who are in the Cisco Academy. If you aren’t a student, you will have to find an alternative to the Packet Tracer software to practice networking.
Every work station and student computer should have a copy of a Cisco dictionary on it. This software outlines all of the Cisco software commands, yet also explains what they do and gives examples of usage. It’s an invaluable tool that is free for everyone. It only takes a minute to do a quick search in the dictionary for a term you need, research it, and implement it into your network.
Cisco has their own line of books and learning materials. The only downside is that these manuals are often hard to read and require attention to detail in order to allow the information to sink in. Books also are subpar in terms of quick reference, as they are thick with information and flipping through pages can be time consuming. Desktop software and posters are quicker, but books tend to be more thorough in explanations.
If you are operating within the Cisco IOS, you can easily find help by using the in-program help feature. You can quickly find what a command is used for, or which commands can be used in each level of router mode. A similar feature is included within Cisco switches for all recent Cisco IOS versions. There are no explanations, of course, but it acts as a great refresher for when you forgot a command name.
Closing Comments
There are plenty of references to find in Cisco materials. Depending on what you need, you might want the simple desktop program or an expensive book to help you out. Cisco classes are tough work, so do not feel discouraged over the course of your networking hardware and software studies.
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